Cafe Lula

After coming back from my holiday not quite looking like Kelly Brook (because of eating things like this), I decided I needed to get fitter. My friend Emma, who is a lot fitter than me, kindly offered to go running with me twice a week before work. This means getting up at 6am (urgh) to run three miles (urgh). Horrible. So, to make it more bearable, we agreed that we would take it in turns to bring muffins in for a post-run reward. I know this may sound counter-productive, but you try running before most sane people get up.

Anyway! Today it was my turn to bring in muffins, and so yesterday evening (after already making curry and cupcakes) I chose to make these vanilla fudgies. These must be the easiest things in the world to make. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, mix, fill muffin cases, bake. Easy! The mixture is quite thick and I was worried the first time I made them as I didn’t believe it could possibly turn into something light and fluffy. But it does. It sort of feels like a cheat that you get something so yummy for so little effort. These are definitely best warm, but I wouldn’t say no to a cold one.

Vanilla fudgies

From Baking Magic by Kate Shirazi and Susannah Blake

Makes 12-16

Ingredients:

300g/10 oz/2 cups self-raising (cake) flour

1 tsp baking powder

115g/4 oz/0.5 cup caster sugar

100g/3.5 oz mini fudge chunks

125ml/4 fl oz/0.5 cup milk

100ml/3.5 fl oz/scant 0.5 cup half-fat creme fraiche

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

60g/2 oz butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and line a muffin tin with cases.

Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl and stir in the fudge pieces.

In a jug, beat together the milk, creme fraiche, egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the butter. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 16-20 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. These are yummy warm or cold.